Shakespeare In Three Steps: Julius Caesar - Simply Charlotte Mason

Simply Charlotte Mason presents Julius Caesar Shakespeare in Three Steps by Rebekah Shafer

An enjoyable and simple approach to some of the greatest literature ever written— the plays of William Shakespeare! Now you can help your students become familiar with Shakespeare's imaginative stories, memorable characters, and brilliant lines in three simple steps: read the story, hear the script, and watch the play. Shakespeare in Three Steps provides everything you need: A well-written story version of the play presented in the living style of storytellers E. Nesbit and Charles and Mary Lamb—narratives designed to provide a wonderful introduction to Shakespeare's plays; The complete script of the play with helpful notes to explain unusual terms or add to your understanding of Shakespeare's stories, characters, and lines; An outlined plan for walking through the script, divided into manageable portions with quick recaps, scene introductions, and summaries that will guide you each step of the way; Script highlights, featuring well-known or just ponder-worthy lines, that will gently introduce the Bard's genius and cultivate an appreciation for his wonderful way with words; Parental advisories to give you a heads-up on scenes that may contain material inappropriate for children; Helpful lists of the characters in the scenes and the number of lines each one speaks, so you can assign parts knowledgeably for reading sessions or acting roles; Candid reviews of several video recordings of the play to save you time previewing and help you select a suitable presentation for your students to watch and enjoy. “To become intimate with Shakespeare in this way is a great enrichment of mind and instruction of conscience”—Charlotte Mason Simply Charlotte Mason .com

Shakespeare in Three Steps Julius Caesar by Rebekah Shafer Recommended for Grades 9–12 Tragedy Summary: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a dramatic interpretation of the historical events that led to the murder of Roman dictator Julius Caesar by conspirators in 44 b.c. and the deadly political power struggle that followed.

Shakespeare in Three Steps: Julius Caesar 2022 by Rebekah Shafer All rights reserved. However, we grant permission to make printed copies or use this work on multiple electronic devices for members of your immediate household. Quantity discounts are available for classroom and co-op use. Please contact us for details. ISBN 978-1-61634-583-9 printed ISBN 978-1-61634-584-6 electronic download Published by Simply Charlotte Mason, LLC 930 New Hope Road #11-892 Lawrenceville, Georgia 30045 simplycharlottemason.com Printed by PrintLogic, Inc. Monroe, Georgia, USA

Contents Shakespeare in Three Steps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Step 1: Read the story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Step 2: Hear the script. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Act I, Scene 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Act I, Scene 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Act I, Scene 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Act II, Scene 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Act II, Scenes 2–4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Act III, Scene 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Act III, Scene 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Act III, Scene 3, and Act IV, Scene 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Act IV, Scenes 2 and 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Act V, Scenes 1 and 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Act V, Scenes 3–5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Step 3: Watch the play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Julius Caesar script. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Shakespeare in Three Steps Understand and enjoy Shakespeare’s plays by following these three steps: Step 1: Read the story. Read aloud the story version of the play to get familiar with the main characters and plot. Step 2: Hear the script. Listen to each scene on the audio dramatization and follow along in the script, or assign students to read aloud the various characters’ lines themselves. Step 3: Watch the play. Enjoy a live or recorded presentation of the play. simplycharlottemason.com 5

Step 1: Read the story. Notes Julius Caesar is a character-heavy look at how a belief can affect friendships, alliances, and an entire nation. Some of Shakespeare’s lines in this play have been taken directly from the biography of Julius Caesar in Plutarch’s Lives, Sir Thomas North translation (1579). Read aloud the story version of Julius Caesar below to become familiar with the main characters and plot. We’ve included a Character List on page 17 to help students keep track of the numerous characters, but you can always allow your students to create their own. Students might also personalize the list by adding character descriptions, colorcoding the various characters according to the students’ devised categories, drawing caricatures of the characters, rating the characters on a devised scale, and more. Since this story version is longer, feel free to divide it into two readings. This play is a great opportunity for anyone studying psychology to profile a few characters from the play or for anyone interested in voice acting to get a full range of practice. Julius Caesar Retold by Katie Thacker Julius Caesar was a celebrated Roman general with an ever-growing list of accomplishments. The people were proud of the glory that he had brought to their city with victory after victory. After one of Caesar’s most stunning victories—taking down the sons of his archrival Pompey—he arrived in Rome to a full military triumph. The streets were filled with people roaring his name, clamoring to get a glimpse of the legendary commander, and bringing him gifts. In their elation, the people shouted proclamations that Caesar should become the king of Rome. Caesar traveled down the streets, his position of leadership secure among his adoring citizens. As the commotion continued to stir, a soothsayer approached Caesar to give him a dark warning—“Beware the ides of March.” Caesar was slightly startled but quickly dismissed the fortune teller as an old fool and went on his way back to the celebration. Although the crowds in the streets were frenzied in their devotion to Caesar, others did not share their enthusiasm. Gaius Cassius—patrician as well as friend and colleague of Caesar’s—was already developing a plot to halt Caesar’s rise to power. Rome had been without a monarchy for over 500 years, and Cassius believed it must stay that way. He was present in the triumph procession, but he snuck away to confer with another general, Marcus Brutus. Cassius implored Brutus to tell him his feelings on the matter: “Brutus, I do observe you now of late. . . . You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand over your friend that loves you.” Brutus, one of Caesar’s dear friends and trusted confidants, had also started to fear that Caesar’s power and popularity were increasing too rapidly, and he admitted his hesitations to Cassius. As the two stood together away from the triumph, they simplycharlottemason.com A patrician was a nobleman in ancient Rome. 7

Notes We recommend The Arkangel Shakespeare audio dramatizations. Check your local library or favorite online bookstore. There are literally dozens of different characters in this play, so you should be able to find parts to suit all your students’ varied reading skills. 18 Step 2: Hear the script. Make a copy of the script on pages 43–146 for each student. Work your way through the script over several sittings, as outlined on the following pages. Each session will follow a sequence similar to the one below: 1. Use the notes to introduce each scene. Highlight the featured lines if desired. 2. Listen to the scene(s) on the audio dramatization and follow along in the script, or assign students to read aloud the various characters’ lines themselves. 3. Invite any questions or comments, then set it aside until next time. simplycharlottemason.com

Act I, Scene 1 Notes Ask the students what they recall from the previous lesson’s reading of the story of Julius Caesar. Explain that the play divides the story into five parts, called “acts.” The acts are divided into smaller portions, called “scenes.” Today they will listen to Act I, Scene 1. Read the scene summary to give the students the context for the lines they will be hearing. Scene Summary: Caesar has won in his campaign against the sons of Pompey, a famous former general of Rome whom he also defeated, and is returning in triumph to Rome. Two tribunes (Roman officials) take it upon themselves to disrupt the cheering crowds and tear down the decorations, claiming that Pompey’s death should not be celebrated, as he was once a hero. Distribute a copy of the script to each student. (Optional) Take a sneak peek at these lines from the script and enjoy Shakespeare’s wording. » Lines 32–55: One of the tribunes gives an impassioned speech to the plebeians, or commoners, admonishing them that they shouldn’t celebrate Caesar’s defeat of Pompey and his sons. MURELLUS Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home? What tributaries follow him to Rome To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels? You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things! O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft Have you climbed up to walls and battlements, To towers and windows, yea, to chimney tops, Your infants in your arms, and there have sat The livelong day with patient expectation To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome. And when you saw his chariot but appear, Have you not made an universal shout, That Tiber trembled underneath her banks To hear the replication of your sounds simplycharlottemason.com Shakespeare wrote his plays in both prose (conversational speaking) and in poetry. NAME: Prose lines will look like this. NAME Poetry lines will look like this. 19

Notes Made in her concave shores? And do you now put on your best attire? And do you now cull out a holiday? And do you now strew flowers in his way That comes in triumph over Pompey’s blood? Be gone! Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, Pray to the gods to intermit the plague That needs must light on this ingratitude. Listen to Act I, Scene 1, on the audio dramatization (approx. 5 minutes) and follow along in the script, or assign students to read aloud the various characters’ lines themselves. If you are assigning students to read aloud, the following list might be helpful; it details the characters who speak and the approximate number of lines each one has in this scene. 20 Flavius, Roman tribune (27 lines) Murellus, Roman tribune (31 lines) First Plebeian (1 line) Second Plebeian (16 lines) simplycharlottemason.com